There are many devices known in the art for measuring a sports player's performance during training and competition. Moreover, it is well known to utilize such devices in conjunction with a training regimen to increase strength and body speed. For example, as explained in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,353 the use of weighted clubs or bats in conjunction with a speed measuring device to achieve a desired club or bat speed can aid a player in increasing the speed with which a ball is struck. As can be appreciated, this result is advantageous in many sports including baseball, softball, golf, tennis, and the like.
Similarly, Cobb, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,219 discloses the use of a force transducer generating pulses to discern the relative centripetal velocity of a baseball bat. However, the drawback to Cobb, and many other velocimeters and accelerometers, are that the force transducers used can be disrupted by the impact of the club or bat against a ball. Thus, an erroneous reading can result from the use of such a force transducer to measure a velocity when hitting a ball.